SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021
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Only one active COVID case reported in county By JD LONG
jim@harrisonnewsherald.com
CADIZ – The COVID pandemic really does seem to be coming to an end with numerous jurisdictions lifting year-long restrictions and reports of falling numbers. Harrison County Health Administrator Garen Rhome spoke to the commissioners at Wednesday’s meeting and stated that all counties in Ohio reported being under the 100 cases per 100,000 threshold. For Harrison County, only two cases were reported since last week making that the second straight week of only two for a total of just four in two weeks. The bigger news was that only one active case remains in the county. Presumed recovered rose by six for a total of 1,130. Rhome said Harrison County would be well into the yellow alert status if it was still in affect, which ended several weeks ago. He said the county had registered only 30 cases per 100,000 of the population and would undoubtedly fall even more
after this week’s reported numbers. He told the board that they are now up to 35 percent of county residents being vaccinated, which came to approximately 5,100 people. The department is still taking walkups for vaccinations and administered about 30 last week. The conversation then turned to whether Rhome would even need to continue providing weekly updates to the board. Rhome said it would be helpful as there is along with COVID to address and the dangers of Lyme disease as well. But his weekly visits he’d been conducting since last year may also be dwindling in the coming weeks. When asked about a dangerous variant of COVID being reported in the United States, he couldn’t provide specific details but did note the one breaking out in the United Kingdom. “…We expect that the vaccine is just as effective, or close to as
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Woodie Dixson (left) and Andrew Foreman feed the fire as they say goodbye to all the American Flags turned in that were ready for retirement on National Flag Retirement Day. The ceremony was held behind the Cadiz American Legion on Monday with the help of the Boy Scouts Troop 269.
American Legion hosts annual flag retirement ceremony By JD LONG
jim@harrisonnewsherald.com
Board of Elections preparing for future elections By JD LONG
jim@harrsionnewsherald.com
CADIZ – The Harrison County Board of Elections met Monday afternoon to discuss an array of topics mostly dealing with how to improve election protocol and practices. The board talked of having a Dominion representative come to the office and train staff members on their tabulation system. They expect someone to come in possibly next week and speak to the board about the logistics of the system. The board also discussed the subject of poll workers and how far ahead should they advertise for volunteers. Board member Holly Brindley said that some volunteers in past years will undoubtedly return but some will not. She added that the COVID pandemic had hurt the process some. Alex Pavlov, the Eastern Ohio Regional Liaison for the Ohio Secretary of State, said that according to the Ohio Revised Code, absentee request forms could only be sent out in even-numbered years. This preceeded a discussion of a possible mock election, which Pavlov thought was an excellent idea.
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Brindley felt a mock process of showing how things are done would be a positive step in restoring their name within the community after the BOE fell under administrative oversight at the hands of the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, as well as the changing of directors. “That would be a good gesture,” she explained. Another topic discussed was whether to have a BOE Facebook and Twitter page. When one board member said it was free to do so, board member John Jones told them that nothing is free and there would eventually be some kind of cost. He reminded the board that the public would eventually get around to questioning what he felt were inevitable costs. “I have no problem with trying,” he added. Board member Darin Heavilin said ads could lead to costs but there were ways to make it work “without spending lots of money.” The board did approve of a new candidate checklist. Discussed prior to approval was what was permitted in communicating with applicants. Brindley stressed the importance of
CADIZ – The annual flag retirement ceremony where flags are burned when their usefulness is over took place Monday in back of the Cadiz American Legion Post 34. Plenty of help was on hand with local Boy Scouts, Jaden Harris, Drew Culbertson, Charles Vint and TJ Vint presented the old flags to Woodie Dixson and Andrew Foreman who managed the hot flames over the barbecue area. The flags are gathered from
different areas after members of the public turned them in after they are worn, faded and where many are torn in places, according to House Committee Member Ed Long. Commander Steve Keesey did the honors by reading the ceremonial dedication and supplying some facts and a little trivia for the scouts. Flag Day was officially observed and recognized back in 1877, which was the “100th anniversary of the Continental Congress’ adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States.” That is the year that congress requested that
all public buildings proudly hoist the flag. “The idea quickly caught on and many people wanted to participate in waving the flag,” Keesey read. “One early supporter was B.J. Cigrand, a Wisconsin school teacher who wanted June 14 to be known as “Flag Birthday.” President Woodrow Wilson then proclaimed Flag Day to be a national celebration, though the holiday wasn’t officially recognized until the year 1949 after President Harry Truman signed the National Flag Day Bill.
Commissioners approve Scio agreement By JD LONG
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CADIZ – The Harrison County Commissioners approved an agreement (26-21) on Wednesday between the county and the village of Scio. Commissioner Dale Norris explained the agreement is for the critical infrastructure grant after Scio received approval from OMEGA. “The county shall disburse the balance ($104,000) of the Harrison County funds directly awarded to the village for completion of the project,” per Norris’s reading of the agreement. It also states that OMEGA is to function as the administrator for those funds and have “full control over the policy.” It was noted that Scio has retained The Thrasher Group for project services. “This is basically the same contract we went through with Harrisville,” Commissioner Paul Coffland explained. In other Scio related news, the commissioners announced the public
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hearing for Scio’s attempt to annex more than 600 acres of land, which encompasses the Williams Energy plant. The date for the hearing was announced by Norris as Aug. 20 at 10 a.m. inside the common pleas courtroom on the second floor of the courthouse. Scio submitted the petition to the commissioners during the first week of June. Coffland reminded everyone that the hearing had to be scheduled within 60 to 90 days of the petition being filed. The hearing is open to the public on that Friday. A resolution (28-21) was also approved for the paving of Harrison Roads, 17 and 43. Norris noted that ODOT had provided funds for the project via the Local Roads Oil and Shale Program for pavement rehabilitation. A three-inch asphalt overlay will be applied to approximately 1.7 miles of Harrison 17 and 1.6 miles to Harrison 43. Shelly & Sands won the low bid with a figure of $580,280.88 over two other bidders.
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Another agreement (28-21) approved was between Harrison County and Comtech. Kyle Carter of the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) appeared noting that it had already been approved by the HCSO and the 911 Committee. He said Comtech was the HCSO’s 911 provider “for the phone system that we run to be able to map nine-one-one calls to be able to pinpoint someone’s location…” Carter said if a person in need doesn’t know their location the 911 center can run the person’s number through the system and find their exact location, “usually within a couple feet.” “This is for a three-position nine-oneone system to go out at the Armory location (U.S. 250 in Cadiz) to go along with all the other equipment that we already previously bought,” Carter explained. The contract was announced at $179,140.70 and all that was left was for the commissioner’s approval, which they gave. Carter said the amount includes all labor and equipment.
EVENTS
Gerold L. Atherton Baltic, Ohio Ruth Dickey Blackburn MEMORIAL SERVICE
Har. Co. Basketball League Reunion | PG 7
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Sheriff Myers announces arrest | PG 3 facebook.com/harrisonnewsherald
Eastern Ohio Grazing Pasture Walk | PG 4
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